Schizophrenia – Chapter 28

“I’m so glad you like it! I bought this from the shopping district to the south of the school.”

“The south side…”

In a certain sense, the school grounds could be split up by region. The north was connected to the area nobles resided in, and so much of the stores in the north side were geared towards catering to nobles. In contrast the south side was connected to where commoners and lower class nobles lived. Naturally, the shops there were more oriented for the masses.

While going to buy it only posed a problem of face and pride for the Aldis family, it was still a problem that couldn’t just be ignored.

“I can bring some more next time if you’d like.”

Though it was unclear if she had seen through Lilia’s internal conflict, Tina said such. Lilia slightly lowered the corners of her eyes, and gratefully accepted her offer.

Leaving the snacks she received to Alisa, Lilia left the room with Tina. She left telling Alisa she and the three agents could try the remaining dorayaki. There were five left, so there might still be one remaining when she got back. Actually she hoped they would leave the last one, and was regretting that she didn’t tell Alisa so.

—If you wanted to eat more you could have just said so.

—And just who was it that told me to tell Alisa to share it with everyone?

—It was me. Sorry.

It was to capture people’s hearts, was what Sakura said, but what kind of cheap heart would it be if it was swayed by some dorayaki? When she was thinking that,

“Lilia’s actually really kind huh. To tell you the truth I’d thought you were a much more scarier person…”

That sentence seemed to come with freakishly on point timing. There was no way she could admit that it was by the instructions of the evil spirit possessing her, so Lilia just gave a vague smile.

—Tina’s a really good girl after all. By the way Lilia, wasn’t there something pretty rude that slid out of your thoughts just now? Something about an evil spirit.

—Oh my. Aren’t you one?

—I’ve said it clearly haven’t I! I’m an Angel! A dear Angel! I’m the dear angel that’s here to help you!

—Isn’t it depressing to say that on your own?

—You’re really not holding back where it hurts huh! I-it’s not like that actually hurts or a-…

Sakura’s words stopped midway. As Lilia made a confused expression, Sakura went ‘uwah’, and said with a disgusted voice.

—Lilia. It’s the Prince.

—Hah…?

Lilia’s face stiffened.

“What are you doing?”

And that voice was heard at the same time.

“Ah… Your Highness…”

Tina let out a dumbfounded voice. Towards the direction the voice came from, Lilia turned her around.

“My, your Highness. What might be the matter?”

“Don’t play dumb. Just where are you thinking of dragging Tina to?”

The Prince drew closer to Lilia. Lilia made an annoyed seeming sigh, and fixed a smile to her face. That was,

“……!”

The usual, smile.

“Your Highness. To say nothing of dragging around, did you know that Miss Tina is the one leading the way here? I am currently going with Miss Tina to head for some dinner together.”

“Hmph. As if I’d believe that. Aren’t you just instructing her to walk out in front? So that if someone… If for example myself were to see you would have an excuse.”

—Uwah, what’s with this guy. How annoying.

—I must currently wholeheartedly agree with you there.

Normally she would have openly cautioned her about such thoughts, but Lilia herself, seemed to have cooled down towards this man so she had no intention of finding fault with it. Together with Sakura, the two of them shared their feelings about what a troublesome guy this Prince was when,

—It’s nothing. If I had to describe it, then it’s basically the Prince’s face right now.

—Ahh. So a face that makes you want to crush in your hands huh.

—Scary! That’s way too much! But I agree!

While making some banter with Sakura as a form of escapism, Lilia breathed a small sigh. She looked away from the Prince and turned to Tina. The Prince, he probably hasn’t even noticed Tina’s expression that’s been driven to the brink of tears.

As she tried to reassure her with a soft smile, Tina, though still with the corners of her eyes drooping, returned a smile in kind.

“Despite your kind invitation, since there’s been a boorish interruption let us call it off here.”

“Yes… Sorry about that, Miss Lilia.”

“No need for apologies. A certain boorish, intruding, someone from somewhere is to blame after all.”

Firmly punctuating her words, she eyes didn’t spare a single glance away from the Prince as she said so. The Prince’s face was turning seething red, but whatever.

“Well then, I will take my leave.”

She turned around on the spot. Before heading back towards her room, she moved just her lips to mouth a farewell.

See you later.

She wasn’t sure if it was properly conveyed, but Tina gave a firm nod in return.

The Prince shouted something or other in an attempt to stop Lilia, but she completely ignored such a thing. It didn’t even register in her mind. No matter what the idiot is shouting, it was all ignored, and she headed back towards her room.

When she got back, she was greeted by a wide-eyed Alisa.

“This is quite an early return… I’m surprised.”

As Alisa said so, Lilia just shrugged.

“We bumped into his Highness. It was troublesome so I returned.”

“Those words may be too much, Mistress Lilia.”

Even though she cautioned her, Alisa also had wry smile all the while. It seemed she wasn’t actually serious about it. Alisa probably had some of her own thoughts after seeing Lilia’s exchange with the Prince yesterday. Lilia simply accepted Alisa’s words, and shrugged her shoulders.

“It seems, we’ve missed out on dinner tonight…”

—Food…

Together with Sakura, she gave a heavy sigh. Since they were indeed quite looking forward to it, the shock was all the greater.

“Mistress Lilia. There is one dorayaki still remaining, how about it?”

“I’ll take it. After I eat that, I’m going to sleep.”

She was totally just going to sulk in the bed, but this time neither Alisa nor Sakura said anything about it. Receiving the dorayaki from Alisa, she went into her bedroom just like that, halfheartedly got changed and laid down on the bed.

Author’s Note:The Prince doesn’t have any good points at all huh… He wasn’t really supposed to be a bad guy though…

TL Note:Doyagao is basically like a really smug looking face, maybe similar to the lenny face in the west. Apparently the term came about because ‘Douda'(‘How about that!’) is ‘Douya’ in Kansai dialect. Cue a bunch of funny people doing their thing(lots of comedians there) and thus the term ‘Doya(How’s that!)gao(face)’ was coined. e.g. something like this:

So when he not inside the protagonist’s rose-tinted view, he’s a selfish-arrogant smug. Not unlike a certain rich heir with similar problem. Only that the other guy comes off more goofy and sometimes downright pitiful, this prince needs more works to looks less like an ass than he is now.

Translator #2

When not swimming with polar bears or sleeping in an igloo, likes to stare at incomprehensible moon runes believing them to be messages from the ancestors. Until the caribou meat runs out. Was promoted to Deputy? Arbiter by a wandering Sheeprabbit on a hunt one day and brought to a place named after some person called Chan, Onii.

Translator #3

Translator #4

Hey everyone, I'm Kou-san and I translate stuff.
I hopped on board because my social life was dying and I needed something to keep me from descending into darker chuuni pits. Now, back to learning how to run on water...

Translator #8

Hello, Kudarajin de~su! I'm just a student passing by, translating stuff! Started this since there was a series I really liked that I wanted to share with everyone. I'm trying to share the joy I feel when I read web novels with more people around the world! Now that my self-introduction is over, back to my glorious plan to turn everyone in the world into bookworms...

Translator #9

Graphical Editor #1

Graphical Editor #2

It was a dark and stormy night...the little slug, abandoned by all of it's friends, moved onwards. It undertook a hard and unwelcome journey. The ground was slippery cobblestone, all sunny-gleam and glass-sharp marble gluing the jagged edges together to resemble something beautiful. Walking upon the path would have hurt the slug, considering all the jagged pebbles knocked aside to and fro that it had to crawl over, if not for the water that fell from the sky and aided the slug's way to a place of suitable shells. And on the slug continued on this path, a little nervous but a lot determined, until two long shadows coalesced and stood in its way. "Slug! It's a slimy slug!" one crowed mockingly, laughing cruelly along with other shadows in a discordant symphony as they loomed over the slug, dark and threatening. "I'm not a slug!" it said in response, even as it flinched back. "I am a snail, like the rest of the snails. I just have no shell." The shadows did not seem to hear, and they surrounded the slug, holding sticks and tossing it around. "Stop!" the slug cried, but they did not stop. The rain spilled over the slug, until it didn't, and the slug lay helpless on the side of the streets, unmoving. There were many voices, screeching their victory as they walked into the distance, and the slug was bitterly reminded of the insults its siblings had told it. It did not resist as it was kicked harshly by a passing object and thrown into the air, landing on its soft underside so quickly it faded into unconsciousness, prone and helpless to any that wanted to eat it. It sadly thought that, perhaps, its siblings had been right. However, the slug did not die. It came to, after a long, long time, to see a large, patterned rock. "...Hello?" the slug whispered mutely, voice weak and barely audible, not expecting an answer. But surprisingly, the rock moved, revealing a wisened head that craned over to look at the slug. "Hello," it greeted calmly, "What are you? I have not seen any like you before." The slug took a long moment to comprehend its words, and even then, it felt floored. Someone who had not heard of slugs at all? "I...am a snail, who has no shell, seeking a place of suitable shells that will fit me, like the shells in the place of suitable shells near my home that fit my kin." "Is that so?" the other asked. "I cannot understand, for this shell of mine has been mine ever since my birth. I can, however, understand the need for a shell to watch your back and hide you away from the world, if that is why you wish for a shell." "It is," the slug replied. "It must be a joy to you, to have a shell crafted for you for your lifetime." "But I cannot choose another," the other answered, "While you can." It was a long, quiet moment of contemplation before the other spoke again. "Do you think this shell of mine is good?" The slug was startled, but it answered willingly enough. "Yes." "Do you think this shell of mine is strong?" "Yes," the slug answered, this time a lot more slowly, bemused. The other gave a tiny, weak smile. "Do you think this shell of mine is suitable?" The slug did not hesitate. "Yes," it said, and it could not have said anything more profound. "What are you?" the slug finally queried. "I am a turtle." And the turtle smiled wider, kindly. It may have been just a feeling. It may have been just a thought. But the turtle also said these very words: "You are a snail with a shell." And even though the turtle's shell was all lines and edges and angles, and the shells of the snail's brethren were all curls and swirls wrapping itself into rings of promise, the slug was a snail with a shell, and that was all that mattered.